Napoli only trail Serie A leaders Inter by just three points in the title race, but they are first focusing on nailing down a Champions League spot after missing out last season, according to Antonio Conte.

Having won their first Scudetto in 33 years in the 2022-23 season, the Partenopei finished 10th in Serie A the following year.

That dip prompted a switch of head coach, with Conte coming in. He has helped the club rediscover their old form though, with six games to go, he warned that nobody should get ahead of themselves.

"First of all, we have to earn a place in the Champions League. Beyond everything else, we will have the opportunity to get closer to a prestigious goal that could not be foreseen at the beginning of the year," he said ahead of their game at Monza on Saturday.

"But we have said it, we are there. Clearly we will try to make as much trouble as possible until the end... We are doing something that goes beyond expectations given what happened last year.

"We have to continue to feed it [our dream] with all our strength... It has not been easy so far and there will be other obstacles to overcome. We will have to be as good as we have been so far, without excuses."

Despite bottom-of-the-league Monza having won just one of their last 25 league games, Napoli's away form is of concern having failed to win any of their last five on the road.

Napoli have drawn four of those five matches and lost 2-1 at Como – their longest run without an away win since the 2009-10 season.

But, with Monza having lost 21 of their 32 league games this season, including a league-high 10 of 16 at home, there is an opportunity for Napoli to end their away day blues.

Only six teams in Serie A history, meanwhile, have stayed up having lost more than 21 matches in a season, and none since the 2021-22 campaign.

"These are irrefutable facts, then the fact is that we are second, three points behind Inter. Even if we haven't won for a while, we haven't lost for a long time, only in Como," Conte said.

"We have many points, and we are second, the result of consistency at home and away. Then maybe we can divide the periods, but the regularity is there and only in this way can we achieve the objectives set.

"We don't win away from home, and we would like to start winning again. This is always our aim."